Deception Of A Familiar Heart
by Vesuvias
Summary: Victor Creed begins to realize his desires for his younger brother, but how will he make James feel the same... MxM Victor/Logan
1. Chapter 1

Victor Creed lay on the couch of the small apartment, hands folded over his chest, eyes closed. He ignored the itchy feeling of the armrest's fabric on the back of his neck as he listened to the noise of the busy New York street below the open window, the constant buzzing of the traffic and angry voices shouting to one another over random disputes.

He had become used to the city sounds not long after moving into this temporary home, as he had become used to the sounds of gunfire and screams.

It had been a whole year since the war ended and already he couldn't wait for the next one to start, he preferred the screams over the angry voices of weak men and their petty arguments. He didn't care that he was fighting as a result of one such argument, he enjoyed the feeling of blood on his hands and the thrill of the kill. He hadn't had the pleasure of taking a life since the war, there had been nothing to do other than find a job and a place to sleep until the next round started. One thing his long history had taught him was that there would always be another war.

He had been laying there for over an hour, listening. Finally he heard the sound he had been waiting for. "Watch it!" a man yelled from the street, there was a short and not felt apology from a familiar voice. Not long after was heard quick footsteps and a fumbling of keys outside the apartment door.

"Its not locked," Victor shouted. The door swung open and James Logan entered with a broad smile on his face. Victor opened an eye, "your late, what's got you so exited?"

"Got myself a date for tonight," said James excitedly as he unbuttoned and removed his dirty, grease stained shirt and threw it onto a laundry pile.

Victor's passive mood turned slightly sour, "good for you," he said, his tone unintentionally harsh.

James's smile faded from his face as he turned to regard his elder brother. "What's gotten into you?"

Victor didn't know what brought up his sudden attitude, he had always been irritable, he put it down as the fault of inaction. Work in construction wasn't exactly excitable, or tiring, at least not for them.

"Well?" James prodded, looking down at his brother from the other end of the couch, with a raised brow.

"Nothing, just bored." Victor looked up at James and admired the way a triangle of light from the window played across his muscular chest. _Those muscles should be put to better use_, he thought, but he had to admit, what better use for muscles was there besides heavy lifting.

James's mood lifted again and the smile returned with a hint of smug, "well, maybe you should go out and find a girl then." He gave Victor's bare foot a slap on his way to the bathroom.

The elder man smirked, clearly his harsh comment had been mistaken for jealousy. Victor Creed was jealous of no man, at least that's what he told himself so many times that he believed it.

The shower was heard running and a faint whimper as James stepped into the cold water. The cheap, two bedroom apartment didn't have a water heater, at least not a working one. Neither of the brothers cared about the cruddy living conditions, they'd had worse during their long lives. Having run away from home as children and living feral, they never had much of anything accept the clothes on their backs, and sometimes not even that.

It had to be over two hundred years since that night, Victor had lost track of the time, James was the one who remembered the dates. Victor didn't care for time, it was meaningless to them anyway.

The shower continued to run. Victor imagined the freezing water trickling over his brother's skin, creating millions of tiny goose bumps.

Immediately his face contorted into a look of confusion. It wasn't the first time such a thought had played through his mind, but it was the first time for a long time. Such a, should be, disturbing image had come up during their time in the trenches, only men together for such a long time, he wasn't the only one who thought of screwing a fellow man, sexual frustrations get to everyone.

Perhaps he was feeling those frustrations now and James's excitement over his date had brought those feelings to the surface. Perhaps he did need a date of his own.

James came out of the bathroom naked, they never bothered with modesty around each other. He rubbed a towel over his wet hair, tossed it onto the laundry pile, then stood in front of the window to dry in the breeze.

A thoughtful, sympathetic look crossed his features as he stared down at the street. "There's that homeless guy again," he said looking down at a scruffy middle aged man.

"What of him?" Victor said, uncaring in the least.

"We should help him out, give him some money..."

"Why, if he's homeless that's his own fault!"

"You don't know that, besides if we gave him some money maybe he'd go do something with it instead of standing there being a pain in the ass."

"And he would keep coming back for more, like a stray dog, you'd have better luck beating the shit out of him. Your too nice for your own good sometimes Jimmy."

"And you're a heartless bastard!" James replied playfully. He shook his head vigorously, spraying water droplets over his brother, then went to find some clean clothes.

Victor glanced at his brother's bare ass as it disappeared into the bedroom, he regretted it instantly as he felt a twinge in his groin. He needed to screw something, hard.

"Don't suppose we own a fancy suit and tie between us do we?" the younger man asked from the bedroom. Of course they didn't.

"Why, she some stinking rich upper class bird?"

"No, she's a woman, an Id like to make a good impression for once."

"Why bother, probably not even worth it," Victor said under his breath, but of course his brother's keen ears caught every word.

"You wouldn't know you haven't even met her!" James snapped angrily, why couldn't his brother simply be happy for him?

"And when did _you_ meet her, this morning?"

"As a matter of fact I did, pull the stick out of your ass Victor!" James wandered back into the bathroom, not caring if he had made his brother angry, but always expecting claws in his back.

Victor ignored the last comment and closed his eyes again. He dug his nails into the back of his hands, drawing small beads of blood. Why should he care about his brother having a date anyway. He comforted himself with the fact that it wouldn't last long, either she'd find out about his mutation, which James did well in hiding, or his animal nature would drive her away. The latter was more likely, he could hide the claws beneath his skin but the mentality of his condition always broke the surface.

"Ah, shit!" James cursed, distracting Victor from his thoughts. The younger man was trying in vain to straighten out the dark tangled mess on his head. The cursing continued to flow from the bathroom, much to Victor's annoyance, as James ripped at his hair. It sure sounded painful.

Finally he could take it no longer. Victor stood up and stalked into the small bathroom, "give me that you useless sack of shit," he muttered as he snatched the brush from his brother's hand and went about untangling the mess.

James ignored the insult and smiled slightly, finding this small act of affection rather heartwarming. He knew it was the way Victor showed his love, he wasn't the type to come out and say it or give hugs, instead he let it show through playful insults.

"Ouch!" James yelped as the brush caught on a nasty knot.

"Don't know why you insist on keeping your hair long, you should cut it short like mine, then you wouldn't have this problem."

"Then we'd look like twins, they already get us confused at work, and the last thing I want is to look like you," he cringed as the brush was yanked forcefully through the knot, likely on purpose.

When he had finished brushing out the knots Victor spit onto his hands and rubbed them through the soft dark hair in front of him in a vain attempt at styling. It briefly crossed his mind that he liked the feel of it on his fingers. James cringed as Victor accidently nicked him with a claw.

Victor patted James on the shoulder, "there, now get outta here and go sweep the bird off her feet."

James smiled at him, "thanks Victor," the older man waved him off. Moments later James departed, determined not to be late for his date.

Victor sat at the island counter, debating on making himself something to eat, but there was nothing he wanted. He scratched idly at the counter top, sharp claws making deep wounds in the wooden surface, becoming more restless as the minutes ticked by.

He gazed around the empty apartment, at the cracked plaster walls, dirty carpet and the clothing strewn about it. Everything they owned in plain view.

He felt himself gripped by a feeling akin to loneliness. He always had his brother's company, somehow sitting there doing nothing by himself seemed worse than sitting there doing nothing with his brother. No wonder he was bored, maybe they should start going out and doing something once in awhile.

Restlessness and curiosity got the better of him, as it usually did, and he decided he'd go see this broad for himself. He put on his black leather jacket and combat boots and slammed the door on his way out, causing the landlord to stick his bald head into the hallway.

"Gettin behind on your rent Mr. Creed," the pudgy man said in his thick New Yorker accent.

Victor glared over his shoulder at the man, "you'll get it next payday." The landlord didn't argue further, he knew Victor Creed was not a guy to piss off, and behind or not the brothers always payed.

Victor ignored the homeless man's plea for spare change as he headed down the street. James didn't say where he was going but he had a good guess, a not so fancy diner near by the construction site where they were employed, it was the only place they could afford when and if they decided to eat out, they had good flapjacks and sausages for the breakfast menu.

The diner wasn't a far walk from the apartment. It was a chilly night and he zipped up his jacket. The streets were busy as they always were in the city that never sleeps, the sounds of the traffic were loud and the smell of fumes permeated his nostrils. He truly missed the quiet and the fresh air of the Canadian wilderness, a place where he didn't have to hide his claws and could let his true nature take over.

He passed a newspaper stand catching a glimpse of today's front page, the word 'Mutant' stood out at him. Mutants, that's what they were calling people with 'special features,' like him and his brother. The word mutant was more associated with chemical spills and radiation, he preferred to think of himself and his brother as a higher form of life, better than the rest, the only ones of their particular kind. Humans cant seem to handle anyone whose different, so they give them a low title and treat them like shit. Victor had his fair share of discrimination over the years, he didn't care about it anymore and it was comforting to know he wasn't alone.

He stopped outside the diner, he didn't want to go in, his brother would catch his scent and he didn't want to explain himself, and James didn't like to be followed around. He could see them sitting by the third window. The woman was a looker for sure, with big eyes and shoulder length brown hair, she wore a red dress to match her bright red lips. She didn't seem too put off by James's casual clothes, his neatest looking plaid shirt and blue jeans.

_You did good Jimmy_, Victor thought. He watched them smile and laugh as they talked, a happiness in James's eyes that was rarely seen, in fact Victor didn't think he'd ever seen it before.

And there was that feeling of loneliness again, a deep sinking feeling. He wasn't worried about being seen as he continued to watch them, they never took their eyes off each other. After a while he turned away from the scene and headed back the way he had come.

A small part in his mind said, _you should be doing the same thing, find a girl, wine and dine..._ He shook the thought away, a thought brought up by his human nature, a diminishing thing in his mind. The beast always won him over these days, he could hardly control it, so why fight it, it felt good to lose control. There would be no wining and dining, he would find some helpless victim and simply take what he wanted.

He would never win anyone's love. Most of the women he fucked didn't survive the intense and often violent encounter, those who did were broken for life, hell, one even committed suicide. He didn't want their love anyway, didn't need it, he had all the love he needed from his brother, something he'd never admit he was afraid to lose.

His mind replayed the images of his little brother and the woman. He was hit with a wave of jealousy and anger, not really sure what it was directed at. Looking around he noticed he'd been distracted and gone two streets too far. There was a whore house across the street, a scantily dressed woman stepped out a side door into the alley and lit up a cigarette.

He started towards the woman. Jimmy wasn't the only one allowed to have fun. Seeing his approach the woman smiled and opened her mouth, likely to ask him if he was looking for a good time, but choked on her words as he grabbed her by the throat.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where did you go last night?" James asked his brother as they sat at the island counter eating a breakfast of fried bacon. He noticed the scratch marks on the counter top, they looked to have been done out of boredom or irritation. Victor hadn't come home till after midnight, naturally this made James worry for the safety of the general public.

"Figured Id go out, find something to do," Victor replied, "how was your date?" he asked, changing the subject. He didn't feel guilty about what he had done, he had cleaned that blood from his hands without remorse, but had walked away with the disappointment of dissatisfaction.

"It was fun," James said with a smile, remembering her sweet laugh, "she's great Victor, you should meet her, we're going for lunch today you should join us.

Once again Victor felt a stab of jealousy, its reason absent. "Nah, I got work to do if were going to pay this rent." James shrugged, in a suit yourself manner, and left it at that.

James's lady friend arrived at the construction site just as the lunch bell rang, from his high vantage point on the side of the building in progress, Victor could see them lock their mouths in a kiss, she whispered something into James's ear and they shared a laugh. There was more force in his hands for everything he did the rest of the day and a perpetual scowl on his face.

Victor only smiled once, when an unfortunate worker fell a long way to his death from the side of the building. Having very little safety precautions worked in Victor's favor, no one would ever guess the man had been pushed to his messy fate. The best part of it was the high pitched scream and the look of shock on Jimmy's girl's face when they came back from lunch.

/

It was another two days till James had scheduled another date with the woman, Scarlet her name was, Victor never cared about her name but his brother told him anyway, and it was clear that Jimmy was crazy about her.

Victor had difficultly hiding his disgust as he watched his brother prance almost gaily about the room. He had put on his best clothes, fixed his hair and was eagerly awaiting the hour of his date.

"Calm down Jimmy, you'll wear out the carpet!" Victor grabbed the younger man by the arm and sat him down on the couch beside him.

James took a breath, "I've never been so close with a woman before, not with the wars and being on the run all the time, she's great Victor, I can really talk to her..."

"You can talk to me," Victor interrupted, this time his jealousy was clearly directed. James stared at him for a moment, taken aback by the harshness of the statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Victor shook his head and changed the topic, "where you goin tonight?"

"Somewhere different, an Italian place," James answered.

"How romantic," Victor replied with sarcasm.

"Yeah, about the only romantic thing I can manage, can you believe she thinks Im a terrible kisser!"

"Not surprising, you aint got the experience."

"And you do?"

Victor raised a brow and smiled smugly, "I've had a lot more than you."

"I don't believe you!" James replied stubbornly, "you couldn't possibly be romantic, its not in your nature."

James was right, Victor could never be romantic, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to kiss. On sudden impulse he moved closer to James and put a muscled arm over the couch behind him.

"You'd better believe it Jimmy boy, I could teach you if you'd like?" James raised a questioning brow. Victor grabbed his brother's chin and turned it towards him. "You wanna know how to please a woman Jimmy, you gotta look her in the eyes, make her weak in the knees, then make your move..." of course Victor didn't believe in any of it, he was just reciting things he saw in the black and white films, but he had his brother intrigued.

Their faces came close, hot breath felt on each of their open mouths, it was an unconscious thing, their noses brushed before their lips touched, softly. The kiss continued, both men seeming unaware of what they were doing, as if it were natural. Their lips connected but hardly moved, just grabbed and held on.

Something clicked in James's mind and became aware of what they were doing, he made to pull away, but Victor pulled him back. "What..." the word was startled from his mouth, Victor silenced him.

"Hush Jimmy, let big bro show you how its done," Victor whispered, then put their lips together again. He ran his tongue over James's bottom lip, then pulled it between his own, slowly, feeling and tasting his brother's mouth with his own.

James was unsure of how to react, his first impulse was to punch out in anger, but he held the anger back, eager for the knowledge his brother was showing to him in this strange way, that's all this was, he thought, just his older brother 'showing him how its done.' The feeling of his lips was strange, so soft, in complete contrast with the course facial hair and rough skin.

The kiss was beginning to deepen, James unconsciously opened his mouth for the probing tongue, when his nose caught a scent, the scent of lust. He pulled away forcefully.

He didn't know what to say, at a complete loss for words. He didn't look at Victor, couldn't. His cheeks were red, from what it was hard to tell, embarrassment, anger, disgust. Despite having an hour left before his date, James grabbed his jacket and went out the door, leaving Victor to his own confused thoughts.

/

The minutes went by in slow motion as he sat there, they seemed to be giving him time to catch up to his brother, to apologize, explain what had just happened. But apologizing wasn't something Victor did, much less explain things, and he couldn't explain it if he tried. He didn't know why he kissed his brother like that, his own _brother_. Was he that horny?

Scowling deeply he got up and went to follow his brother, slamming the door behind him. James's scent was still fairly fresh in the hallway, but once he got outside it didn't take long to lose it under the smell of fumes, food and the odor of countless bodies.

There were numerous Italian restaurants in New York, two near there apartment, but he couldn't track James's scent to either of them. Why was he chasing his brother like this anyway, it wasn't like he wouldn't come home after a single awkward moment, they'd had plenty of those in their lifetime and it wasn't something they needed to talk about. So why was he out here?

He had walked around the block and came to the back of the apartment building. As he cut through the alley to the front, a homeless man stepped out in front of him. "Spare some change mister?" the ragged man begged. Victor scowled at him. This was the same homeless man James had wanted to help. This useless tramp dared to ask him for money? Humans were weak, so unlike Victor and James, they were different.

In a fit of anger Victor lashed out at the man. Blood sprayed through the air and splattered against the brick wall as extended claws slashed deep across the man's face. A few passers by might have heard the man's screams, but showed no signs of caring as he was shredded to bloody pieces by the sharp claws of a beast. No one cared for homeless beggars, only laughed in their dirty faces.

An image of two dirty boys, huddled in a cold wet alleyway, flashed through Victor's mind, along with the laughing faces of the more fortunate. Memories of hurt, anger and blood came boiling to the surface. He was no longer weak, he had taken care of his brother, had taken care of himself for all these years. He had proven himself better than those weak, pathetic humans who wouldn't know what to do without their precious money.

Victor kept slashing at the body long after the life had left it, in a blind rage. When he finally stopped what had once been a man was now a bloody, unrecognizable mess at his feet. He felt no regret, the way he saw it he had actually done the man a favor by putting him out of his misery, where James would call him cruel.

He surveyed his handiwork for a moment, the strong scent of blood made him want to spill more, but he had calmed down considerably. He pulled a bag of garbage out of a trash bin and emptied its contents, then replaced them with the mangled body of the homeless man. No one would miss him, so there would be no worry about the cops, the corrupt basterds never did their jobs properly anyway. He threw the bag back into the trash container and walked back to his apartment, the blood would wash away in the rain.

Once in the room he went immediately for the shower, stepping into the freezing water with his clothes still on. Most of the blood washed away, but the garments were permanently stained. He stripped off the wet clothes and threw them on the bathroom floor.

A slight shiver went through his body as the cold water hit his bare skin, riddling it with goose bumps. He leaned forward and braced his hands against the wall, letting the water rain down on his back, and closed his eyes.

Victor hated the cold water. He was used to it, the water had been cold since the beginning, it even ran cold in his veins. But he hated it. He hated that warmth seemed always just out of his reach.

He pictured himself and James, two children lost in the forest huddled together in the cold rain, surrounded by the reaching branches of the tall trees. His young and frightened brother clung to his arm for protection. Victor had been brave for them both then, shielding his brother from the cold, from the sounds of the darkness and the trees waving at the air with claws more fearsome than his own.

Victor smiled without mirth. How young and weak they were then. He could still vividly remember the look in his little brother's eyes the night they had run away, a mix of fright and anger. Victor's smile faded into a expression of deep thought. When he had taken Jimmy's hand that night there had been a spark of undescribable emotion, it had spread throughout his body from the small hand in his own, made his heart beat faster.

Yes, how could that have slipped his mind, the only warmth he had ever felt in his long life came from his brother. The rest was as cold as ice. Not the flames of a forest fire, nor the freshly spilt blood of a helpless victim, cooling too quickly upon his hands, could compare to the warmth of his brother's embrace.

Victor smirked at his own thoughts, he could be a romance novelist if he wasn't so bad at writing.

Romance, was that what it was? Could he really be harboring some incestuous desire for his brother? The incest part didn't bother him, but the thought of being gay didn't sit well. It was confusing.

He thought about earlier, when he was _showing_ his brother how to kiss. Jimmy's inexperienced aura, the soft lips on his own.

Victor's hand strayed down to his burning member, he wasn't sure when it had become erect. The skin of it was so heated it seemed likely to create steam as the coldness of the shower poured over it. He mused no more on his sexuality, just let his thoughts go as he stroked himself.

He imagined that kiss going further, deeper. The thrill of power and dominance as he took lead of the kiss, teaching his little brother how to please, made his cock drip. His fingertips rubbed over the engorged head of his cock, imagining those lips parting around it.

He clenched his eyes shut in concentration as he squeezed his cock hard, the pressure was excruciating, just how he liked it. He picked up his pace at the mental image of Jimmy's head bobbing in his lap. Victor moaned long and low as he came, splattering the sticky white seed over the wall, but imagining it released down a willing throat.

Victor took his hand off himself when he heard the apartment door almost slam open. He took a deep breath and gave himself a moment to cool off, before turning the water off and stepping out of the tub. He grabbed a towel and started to dry himself off. He knew what was coming. Glancing briefly to the clothes on the floor he thought about hiding them, but it didn't matter.

Without heed to privacy James burst into the bathroom, the door banging loudly off the wall as it swung inwards. Of course he had smelled the blood upon his return, and the stained clothes in a wet heap on the floor made the situation even more clear.

James looked at the bloody clothes, then fixed his brother with a hard, disapproving stare, "Victor, what did you do!"

Victor shrugged as if it were nothing, and it was nothing, at least to him. "Looks like you have a guess, you tell me," he replied mockingly.

James had a look on his face that said he was trying to be calm, but teetering on the edge of control. He waved a stiff finger at his elder brother, in the mature manner of an adult lecturing a child, "you cant go around killing people Victor."

"Why not?" Victor snorted.

"Because it aint right!" James yelled angrily.

"Nothing is right with this world Jimmy, people die all the time an there aint shit you can do about it, what's one more blood stain on the battlefield!"

"The war is over Victor!"

"No Jimmy!" Victor growled, grabbing James by the front of the shirt, "the war isn't over, it never will be. When they've sorted out their disputes, when we're no longer useful, we'll never be excepted, its you and me against the world!"

James looked at him as though he were crazy, and at that moment it probably seemed like he was. But Victor knew what he had said had truth in it, and he knew Jimmy would figure it out.

Victor released his grip on James's shirt, his claws had torn holes in the material, and small drops of blood on the tips told him they had pierced flesh as well, though James never winced in pain. James still glared at his brother.

"I did that homeless basterd a favor anyway," Victor said, as he brushed by his brother to go find some clean clothes.

"You killed a homeless man! That's cruel Victor, why would you do that!" James seemed determined to keep the argument going.

"I was pissed off!"

"You cant just kill people cus your pissed off, Fuck Victor! All this over a damned kiss!" There was the dreaded subject neither of them was planning to bring up, ever again.

For a moment there was silence between them, both locked in angry, awkward stares. "I don't care about that Jimmy..." Victor started. He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hey!" the muffled voice of the landlord called through the door, "I need your rent." James took an envelope of the counter and tore it open, he quickly counted out its contents, put it back in the envelope and went to open the door.

"Everything all right in here?" the man asked as James handed him the money. He had heard the loud voices and had really come to check up on the brothers.

"Everything's fine," James told him. The landlord smelled strongly of cheep beer. He was pleased to finally get the overdue rent money and was more than happy to leave it at that and get back to drinking and playing poker with his friends.

James shut the door, "that was all the money, both our paychecks," he said, "this place is getting too damn expensive."

"Could always move back to Canada, build a cabin in the woods," Victor suggested. He knew James preferred the wilds to the city as much as he did. But James was stubborn in his desire to be more human than animal, to be like them.

James sat down on the couch and pulled a cigar and a box of matches from his pocket, he lit the cigar and sucked in the smoke. Victor had bought him a lighter once, but he preferred to light his cigars with matches, they preserved the flavor, whereas lighters tainted it with fuel. He pondered Victor's words, chewing on the cigar.

"Nah, I cant go back to Canada, been there most of my life, time to move on," James answered, after a few moments, "here I got a job, got a girl."

Victor noted his brother's use of the word _I_ instead of _we_, like he had no say in this. James had said it was time to _move on_, did that mean to move on from him as well? Victor would never openly admit how much that thought hurt.

"It wont last Jimmy, nothing ever does for us," it was a desperate attempt to make him reconsider.

"Maybe I don't care anymore Victor." James replied angrily.

"She'll leave you Jimmy," Victor growled, "she'll find out what you are and she'll leave you!"

"I wont let that happen!" Tempers were starting to rapidly flare again.

"You wont be able to control it! Its not love anyway, your just a horny dog!"

"How would you know!" James's voice was now close to a roar, "Im not like you Victor, you've never even felt love!"

That was it. The argument had been pushed too far. That last comment sent Victor over the edge, and the beast forged of anger could no longer be contained.

With an infuriated roar the feral lunged, claws extended, for his brother's throat.

James had not been prepared for the attack, he barely had time to stand up before Victor impacted hard, tipping them over with the couch. In his own fury the younger feral didn't feel the sting as he unsheathed his bone claws, the spikes shooting out from between his knuckles and stabbing into his brother's sides. Using the momentum of the impact he rolled over and on top of his attacker, pulling his bone claws out and driving them back into the elder feral's stomach.

Victor roared in pain and slashed at his brother's face. Blood splattered as the claws drew deep lines from brow to cheek, skimming just over the eyes. The wounds healed almost as quickly as they were made.

Victor had always been the stronger of the two, despite his slightly slower healing ability. He easily threw the younger feral off to the side and got to his feet. He dodged a heavy spiked punch and retaliated with one of his own, catching James in the gut. The younger feral doubled over in pain, Victor used the opportunity to slam him hard against the wall, making the entire room shake.

James snarled in pain and rage at the claws digging into his stomach, intent in disemboweling him. He snapped his head forward, his forehead impacting with Victor's nose and shattering it. The elder feral fell back in surprise, taking the younger with him to the floor, claws still embedded in his stomach.

They had played this scene many times over in their history, neither seemed able to cope with strong emotions in any other way. In such events the fight raged on until it was interrupted by a distraction that could not be ignored, or more often when one of them was lain unconscious.

This time the distraction came as a loud pounding on the apartment door and an angry booze slurred voice, "Hey!" Both feral mutants stopped in the midst of their grappling match. James had managed to get atop Victor, one clawed fist imbedded in his shoulder, the other fighting off a clawed hand. "Wha's goin on, got a bunch o' wild animals in there or what!"

James was the first to calm down, "everything's fine!" he hollered in answer.

The landlord stood outside the door a moment longer, listening for more of the strange frightening growls he thought he had heard. "Alright, just keep it down, an if anything's broke you can pay extra rent next month fer repairs!"

Once he was sure the landlord had moved away James extracted his claws and stood up. He was done fighting for now, and it wouldn't do well to have the landlord knocking again. Before he slid his bone claws away Victor caught his wrist in an iron grip.

Victor ran his tongue along one claw, cleaning his own blood from its length. It was hard, yet warm, like the rest of his brother's body. He wondered if it would bleed if it were to snap.

He jerked his brother forward by the wrist, drawing him close so James could feel the breath of his whisper warm on his lips, "I stood by you all these years, think about that little brother."

It was his turn to leave James with confused thoughts as he slammed the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

The work day was slow, the hot dusty air of the construction site was filled with the constant noise of drills and hammers, so loud the city sounds of traffic and voices seemed like a distant, low hum. All every worker could think about was getting the work done and over with as soon as possible and earn their pay.

James went about his work mechanically, his thoughts elsewhere. The argument of the previous night still weighed heavily on his mind. Victor had told him to think, and think he did, he thought about it all night, was still thinking about it. He may be slow to finding the deeper meaning of things but he wasn't completely incompetent at piecing things together. He thought he knew what Victor had meant, but there was some strange undertone to everything he did, unspoken meanings James wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Relief from his thoughts came at approximately twelve o'clock noon, when his girl arrived. He bounded over to her happily and placed a light kiss on her puckered lips. She had brought him lunch and he gratefully took the brown paper bag she held out to him. He briefly wondered if this would be a good time to introduce her to his brother, but decided it was a bad idea.

/

Victor watched as James led the woman over to a bench where he started on the bag lunch. _Doesn't even bother to introduce me_, he thought bitterly. He hadn't spoken to James at all that day, when he left after their fight he hadn't come back till the early hours of the morning and even left early for work. He was sure the entire thing had been dismissed from his brother's mind.

Only on the way home from work did James finally speak to his brother, only to tell him that he had scheduled another night out, it was a few days off so he could use his pay to take her somewhere really nice. James noted the deepness of Victor's scowl at this information.

When they entered their apartment the first thing James did was open up a beer. Victor could tell there was something on his mind, he could always read the little signs when his brother was troubled, like now as he was taking large gulps of the beer, his body language speaking of frustration and unease. It was apparent that his brother could read him just as well when James turned to him and stated, "you really have a problem with me havin a girl don't ya."

Victor shrugged in response, "its your life why should you care."

James downed the rest of the beer, slammed down the bottle and leaned forward with his hands spread on the counter top. He breathed a deep sigh before speaking, "that kiss, wasn't just to teach me, was it?"

Victor was silent for a long while, James could almost hear him thinking, going over all the possible answers that might defuse the situation. It seemed like any answer he could give would have the same awkward outcome. James was expecting him to stay silent, say nothing and leave it at that, it was the easiest way to deal with an awkward situation, with silence or a laugh.

Just as it seemed that silence would be the only forthcoming answer James heard Victor move, deliberately slow, like a hunting cat stalking toward its prey.

Victor pressed his body against his brother's back, placing his hands on the counter on either side of him. James breathed in deep through his nose, he could smell the dreaded answer as clearly as he could feel it pressed against his backside.

Victor's nose brushed against the back of James's ear, warm breath caressed the skin as he whispered into it, "no Jimmy, it wasn't."

James closed his eyes and felt the pounding of his own heart. His older brother had pretty well just admitted to an incestuous desire for him. Now it was his turn to choose a response. Silence? Laughter?

His thoughts were interrupted by the wet press of a tongue on the back of his ear, teeth following to trace the edge. It felt good. Despite the feeling of discomfort twisting his gut, the desire for pleasure momentarily won him over as a pair of hands slid up his arms and down over his sides to lovingly grip his hips. The rest of the world seemed to fade into the background, only the sounds of rough hands against fabric and the breathing of an open mouth at his neck, echoed painfully loud in his ears.

Victor's desire had won him over and he lost himself in the moment, just feeling his brother's body so close, so warm. He had expected James to be angry and strike him, and he knew that once his little brother's mind finished processing his words and touch, that would likely come to pass. So he took what he could get while his brother remained passive.

The hands moved over his front, went low and cupped him through his jeans. James felt his cock twitch at the sudden, bold touch. He pushed Victor away, "we cant do that Victor!" he said firmly, without meeting his brother's gaze, though he could feel the intensity of his eyes upon him.

"Why not?" Victor purred, "we're brothers."

"Exactly! We're brothers for god's sake! And besides your not... Im not..." James stammered over his response.

"Not what Jimmy? Homosexual?" Victor replied, though he knew it was an argument he couldn't possibly win, he wouldn't go down without a fight. "We don't have to be."

James rubbed a hand over his face, he couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "Look Victor, I love you, you're my brother," he said in a calm tone, "but we cant do that, an I've got a girl now."

_There he goes, on about that damn girl again_, Victor thought angrily. "It wont last," he told his brother again.

"How do you know...!" James bit off the argument before it could start, and forced himself to keep calm. Victor could see he was on the edge of control. "Maybe you should go out an find a girl of your own."

"Women," Victor snorted with contempt, "frail, weak, only good for a fuck. If you haven't got what they want you aint got no chance, an if you do have what they want they take it an leave! And what the hell have I got that any woman wants!" Victor stepped up close to his younger brother, seeming threatening. "I don't want no girl!" He captured James's mouth in a rough, biting kiss, almost chewing on his lips.

Stunned, it took James a moment to react. He tore away from the kiss, the younger man's blood smeared over both their lips, and threw a right hook that connected solidly with Victor's jaw.

Victor turned back on James with a bloody laugh, it was all he could do. The punch had hurt more than just physically. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the tile floor.

James's face was red with fury and he was visibly shaking from the barely held rage, "Im sorry Victor, but it cant be that way," he forced himself to say. He kept his stance wide, braced for an attack.

An attack never came. Victor just stared at him coldly, all arguments had been made, there was nothing left to be said.

James started toward his room. "Goodnight Jimmy," Victor threw at him, before he closed the door.

James didn't sleep that night. He lay on his side staring over at the door, as though he expected his brother to burst in any moment and try to rape him, like he had done with so many women. If he were a boy then he would have been scared, alone with no protection. Victor was his protection, had been for years since they had run away together.

_Goddamit Victor, why did you have to screw things up_, James thought,_ things were going fine until this_. But James still wasn't as disgusted as he knew he should be.

/

The night was no less long and troubled for Victor. He wanted to go to his brother, to tear at his flesh with teeth and claws, feel it yield and watch in frustration as the marks knit back together. The thoughts exited him, but all he could do was put a hand to himself, he may have already gone too far. His thoughts were laid bare, Jimmy knew how he felt, but he didn't

feel the same.

Jimmy would never feel the same as long as his delusions of a normal human life remained, as long as he believed anyone other than his own flesh and blood would accept him. Victor would fix that, he would make his brother see the truth of the world.

Victor knew what he wanted now, and he would do anything to get it.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days passed slowly, the brothers hardly spoke two words to each other. Victor wasn't giving James time to think, he knew his little brother wasn't thinking, he was thinking for himself. The feral was never one to plan things, he made them up as he went along, more brawn than brains but he still had a fair amount of both. Ideas came and went, a few nasty ones stuck, but there was one unescapable conclusion. To save Jimmy from pain he would have to cause pain. Scarlet had to go.

The night of James's date arrived, dressed his cleanest he left at the hour of six before Victor could even say, "have fun."

Victor watched him from the window, waiting until James was a ways down the street, before climbing out onto the fire escape. He Jumped over to the building across from him, claws finding easy purchase in the brickwork, and scaled the wall as if he were a cat climbing a tree.

This was a concrete jungle, trees replaced with tall buildings and everywhere was prey, but just one predator, he was made for it.

When he reached the roof he started to run, as his run reached its full speed he lunged forward, his paws griping the edge of the building before his feet came up beside them, and with a mighty leap he soared through the air to land on the roof of the next building. He continued his run on all fours, like a great cat, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He caught sight of his brother on the sidewalk below crossing the street. It was too far for the feral to jump, so he climbed down to the alley and bolted across the street, nearly being hit be a car, he was in the next alley and up the wall before the driver could roll down his window to yell at him.

He kept a fair distance away as he followed his brother, to ensure that he would not be detected by James's keen senses. He stopped when his brother crossed another street and walked up the front steps of a run down looking duplex. Victor watched from the roof across the street.

A short man answered the door after James had knocked. The man called into the house for someone, then turned back to James. They shared a few words before the woman came out, she was in the same red dress he had seen her in on Jimmy's first date.

Victor smirked. The man was obviously the woman's father, and Jimmy had daddy's approval. They clearly weren't rich, that was probably the reason she put up with James, used to the lower class.

James offered Scarlet his arm, which she took, and bid goodnight to the old man. They set off down the street. Victor followed until they reached their destination, a Japanese place this time, James always liked to try new things.

Victor watched as they took their seats, by the window seemed to be their favorite spot no matter where they went. He sank back into the shadows of the alley and thought about his next move. He had no plan when he followed them tonight, but he was confident that one would reveal itself.

Sure enough the plan came, as a large man entered the far end of the alley, he was dragging a female with him. She was resisting his every move on her, slapping at his hands and pleading with him to stop, the man laughed, her struggles encouraging him further. She finally got the break she needed and promptly put her knee to his tenders. The man doubled over in pain and the woman bolted toward Victor.

Victor grabbed her by the arm as she ran past and yanked her back, "where do you think your going?" he asked her, digging his claws into her skin. In the light flooding into the alley he could see her clearly, she looked up at him with frightened blue eyes behind the short blonde hair that hung around her face.

"Let go," she screamed at him. The man at the end of the alley looked up, having recovered from his injury, and started jogging towards them. Victor loosened his grip on her arm just enough, the knee came up.

Suppressing his fierce growl of fury he doubled over. It was something he'd never done before, he let a woman kick him in the balls and get away with it. He watched bitterly as she ran out into the street, he would have loved to fuck her hard enough that she bled and kill her slow, but letting her go was necessary.

"Damn, you let her get away!" the man said as he reached Victor. He was a bit taller than Victor was, a strong looking man in a grey suit and bowler hat. His accent was thick, he had the overall look of a gangster.

"Picked a feisty one," Victor said.

"Ya, and a real doll, shame to let her get away," the man answered, he looked out into the street as if contemplating going after the woman, but she was already gone.

The man didn't seem at all intimidated by Victor, like most people would be, and seemed in no hurry to go anywhere. It was clear he considered Victor to be a man of like mind, which would make the next part of the mutant's plan easier.

"Damn shame," Victor agreed, "but it just might be your lucky day." The man cocked his head slightly in confusion. Victor motioned around the corner to the restaurant, "see that pretty gal by the window, in the red dress?"

The man gave a whistle, "sure is a looker."

"An a real slut too, and that runt of a man she's with aint no good," Victor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of bills, "I've got fifty bucks for ya to go pick her up, and an extra twenty for every hit ya land on the runt."

The man thought for a moment, the man in the restaurant didn't seem like a runt to him, but the girl sure was beautiful and this man was going to pay him to pick her up and pick a fight with somebody, no self respecting gangster would pass up that opportunity.

He took the money and gave Victor a grin, "ya better have more cash on ya, your gonna owe me quite a bit by the time I get through with him." Victor returned the grin and stood by the corner to watch the exchange.

Victor had no intention of paying the man, he wouldn't have to. Jimmy was strong and a veteran of many wars, no novice to fighting, the gangster would surely get more than he bargained for.

/

A sixth sense told James that trouble was approaching, having just sat down to enjoy their meal he hoped it wasn't approaching them. But as his luck would have it, a large man walked right up to their table and addressed Scarlet.

"Hello pretty lady," he said in his overly thick New Yorker accent, "your lookin mighty fine this evening."

Scarlet's blushed pink cheeks reddened and she shyly replied, "oh, thank you," she gave him a small smile and looked back down at her plate, trying to ignore the man's presence, but he was so close the smell of his cologne made her want to sneeze.

"Were busy here pal, would you mind finding your own table," James said, as politely as possible.

The man ignored the woman's date and continued to hit on her, "pretty thing like you deserves a better date than this guy, why don't you come on home with me."

"Hey!" James stood up to put the man's full attention on him, "she's with me pal, and that's where she's gonna stay!"

The gangster turned to face him, pointed a finger and said, "stay out of it _pal_," he turned back to Scarlet, the finger came up to twine through a strand of her auburn hair, "what do ya say sweetheart, how bout it?"

The man nearly bit his tongue in mid sentence as a fist connected with the side of his jaw, he stumbled back. "Clearly you didn't hear me the first time," James said, the punch was a warning, he hadn't put full force behind it. He didn't want to make a scene in public, especially in front of Scarlet, but he wasn't going to give this man another warning. "Im not going to ask you again mister, leave us alone!"

More than a few people at surrounding tables had gasped out in surprise when the punch was thrown, Scarlet was startled and nearly everyone was looking their way. Typical of people, they don't care until it comes to blows, then all they do is watch for their own amusement.

The man wiped a bit of spit from the side of his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned. He was glad James was the one to start the fight, the punch had barely hurt him, he was certain he would earn some good money and take home a beautiful prize.

"You just made a big mistake mister!" the man said, and he punched James hard the gut.

James doubled over, more gasps went around the room, he wasn't expecting the man to start an actual fight in a public place, but this was New York. James could feel his anger rising, this man had no idea that it was himself who had made the mistake.

The feral caught the next punch that was aimed at him and returned the favor, much harder than before. The man was taken aback by the look on his face, something about it told him he shouldn't continue this, but he wasn't about to give up on his prize.

"James, maybe we should just leave," Scarlet said, hoping to end this before it got out of hand. She was scared, and she didn't like the look on James's face.

The gangster chuckled, "you'll be leaving all right, you in an ambulance, and her with me."

With a primal snarl James lunged forward. The man quickly stepped aside narrowly avoiding the first punch, but the second came in fast at his ribs and he could feel them crack under its weight. The feral man lunged at the gangster again and the two crashed into a nearby table, its occupants jumping up and out of harms way as the table and their dinner went crashing to the floor, along with the two combatants.

James didn't notice the split lip the man had given him heal over, didn't notice much of anything as he rained down blow after blow on the struggling gangster beneath him. He was consumed by rage, snarling and growling like a rabid wolf, how dare this man challenge him for what's his, Scarlet belonged to him. His fists tightened and his arm began to tingle, the familiar sting of something forcing its way between his bones and out his flesh.

James stopped the punch, a look of horror on his face when he noticed the tips of his claws protruding from between his knuckles, just inches from the man's face. The gangster beneath him was cross eyed staring at them, his face beaten and bloody. James relaxed his hand and the barely showing claws retreated inside, then stood up from the man and backed away.

The gangster realized then that the fight was over for him, his only prize from this would be his life. He picked himself up from the floor and ran out the door and down the street, completely forgetting about the man in the alley.

/

Victor smirked, judging by the gangster's reaction he had seen a hint of claw, but the rest hadn't, or maybe he was just a coward. Either way his plan had the desired effect, Jimmy had lost control and his girl was scared. He could see her pressed against the window.

The two left shortly after. Victor could see Scarlet was shaken, both her hands were in front of her, holding her small hand bag between her and James as if it would offer some sort of protection. James was also distressed from the ordeal, he paced a few steps back and forth on the sidewalk, not knowing what to do. "Im sorry," James finally said, "Ill take you home." Scarlet didn't say anything in response, she just followed, keeping a few good inches between them as they walked.

Victor's triumphant grin took up most of his face, things had worked out better than he thought they would. This had been a good way to spend his paycheck.

He took to the rooftops once more, the night breeze seeming all the more cool and sweet as he ran. He would be home long before James, it would be as if he had never left at all, he would be there waiting as always for his little brother.


	5. Chapter 5

James had come straight home from his date after walking Scarlet back to her place. The distress was apparent in his features and body language, Victor might have been genuinely concerned had he not known the cause of his little brother's distress. As it was he had to try hard not to smile, it wasn't upsetting his brother that made him so happy, it was the success of tonight's unplanned events.

James had predictably gone to the refrigerator first, but found it empty, he slammed the door in frustration.

"Date went bad?" Victor asked, drawing his brother's attention. He had helped himself to the remaining beer upon his return, three bottles sat empty on the coffee table, a fourth one unopened in his hand which he held out to his brother and motioned to the spot next to him on the couch.

James took the offered bottle without hesitation and sat down. He opened the beer and downed half the bottle in one gulp.

"You didn't answer the question," Victor said after a moment.

"Do I need to?" James asked, he knew Victor could already tell it went badly.

"Tell me about it," Victor said.

"I don't want to talk about it." Of course that was the expected answer, Victor knew James wouldn't pour his heart out on the first question, but with a little bit of prodding he could get his way.

"What happened, she leave you?" Victor was sure to act like he normally would in this situation, as if he knew nothing, not overly concerned just neutrally curious.

"No," James replied first, then quieter, "I don't know."

Victor snorted, "How can you not know if the girl left ya?"

"Its complicated."

"Then explain!"

James slammed down the bottle and rubbed his hands over his face. "I messed up," he said. It was hard to admit that his brother had been right, that Victor's prediction had come true, "I lost control, I showed her the animal."

_And what a magnificent beast it was_, Victor thought. "I told you it would happen."

"Ya you did, so just leave it!" James snapped.

Victor's voice softened to the level of sensitive conversation, "what happened?" he asked. It was clear James was more than a little upset, Victor could feel him shaking through the couch.

James rested his elbows on his knees and folded his hands, he sighed, trying to calm himself enough to speak. "There was this gangster, he came into the restaurant we were in and started hitin on Scarlet, an I asked him to leave, the basterd wouldn't quit. I got angry an hit him."

"Didn't like him movin in on your territory," Victor concluded. He knew, because he was the same way.

"More than that, I beat the shit out of the guy, I completely lost control and, god, I almost let the claws out." James hid his face in his hands in shame, beating up the gangster and nearly showing everyone in the place he was a mutant didn't scare him as much as the fact that Victor was right, not only about how he would lose control but about why it would happen. There was a moment in that fight when he thought of Scarlet as nothing more than a possession, his _territory_. He had fought to protect what he had considered as his, it was the way animals thought, and what if the gangster had been an innocent person, would he have killed him simply because he got too close? And Scarlet wasn't a possession, she was a person, it made him angry at himself that he would think of her that way.

"Well, if you_ almost_ let the claws out then you didn't completely lose control," Victor said, though clearly it didn't make his little brother feel any better.

Victor sighed and moved closer to drape an arm around his brother's bent shoulders. He was relieved when James didn't pull away. "Look Jimmy, don't go beatin yourself up over this shit, the guy deserved what he got, an any girl is damn lucky to have someone to fight for em." Victor would play the nice guy, he would be the caring big brother, he didn't even need to pretend, Victor had always cared for James more than anyone else in the world.

His words seemed to have a slight impact, James was no cheerier, but he leaned slightly into his brother. "I don't want to lose her Vic."

His heartfelt admittance touched Victor's heart, it jumped suddenly, only in anger. He couldn't lose his brother to this woman, or to anyone.

"If she'd throw you away because of a little over protective violence she's not worth it," Victor said.

"Maybe she just needs some time, and I have to try harder." Victor's anger spiked. At this moment his brother reminded him of the young, weak James Howlett, trying so hard to please his father. His hand flexed on James's shoulder, the claws lengthening and digging in. "Ouch, what's wrong with you?" James asked.

Victor relaxed and retracted his claws, "nothing," he said, "just hate seein you upset over some broad."

"When did you get so sensitive?"

Victor gave his brother a serious glare, "its called caring Jimmy, I've always cared for you."

"Sorry," James apologized. He knew Victor cared for him, but given how things were of late, he doubted Victor would be particularly upset over the prospect of him and Scarlet breaking up. "She's not some broad, she cares for me, she's the only woman I've ever met that I can get along with. She's probably just shaken over what happened tonight, Ill give her some time, then Ill bring her some flowers."

Victor fought the flexing of his claws this time, by now he was seething with rage. All Jimmy wanted to do was please this woman. It was likely that if left alone she wouldn't bother with James again, but he was going to go out of his way to bring her flowers! It was nearly sickening. There was the possibility that she wouldn't forgive tonight's incident, but what if she did, what if she was every bit the girl Jimmy said she was? No, he wouldn't take any chances, she needed to go, permanently!

Victor forced a light chuckle, "I've said it before Jimmy, you're too nice for your own good."

"And you're a heartless basterd," James said with a small smile.

"Now that's not true Jimmy," Victor put his lips to his brother's ear, "I only have a heart for you."

James frowned, "you should be a romance novelist," he said, but he didn't pull away from his brother, he could feel Victor smile against his ear. James's frown deepened and his brow furrowed, "you're really in love with me?"

"I've always loved you Jimmy." James didn't bother repeating himself, Victor knew what he meant, and the way he was behaving now was a good enough answer. The hand that had been resting on James's shoulder came up to twine a clawed finger through his hair as Victor's nose nuzzled behind his ear. "Something wrong Jimmy?" Victor asked, noting his brother's stiffness as James forced himself to keep still.

James sighed, sometimes he hated the way Victor used his name in almost every sentence he spoke to him. Jimmy, it was his nickname, the one Victor had given him and only he was allowed to use. It was a reminder of their childhood, when he had first received the name, and everyday since. The name said in a tone soft or harsh was just for him, and he never noticed before how his heart skipped a beat every time he heard it. It made him feel loved.

James came out of his thoughts to notice that Victor was pressed up beside him, breathing on the back of his ear, it seemed to be the place of focus and he couldn't deny it had a wonderful effect. "Im grateful for your love Victor," James said, "but we cant have that kind of relationship," but still he did not pull away.

Victor ignored the statement and continued with the erotic puffs of breath on his brother's neck. "Were so alike, you and me Jimmy," he said in his deep purring voice, "the only two animals of the same kind in a world of different species, no matter where you go or who your with we'll always be soul mates." though the tone was seductive the words were true, the humanity spoke it but the beast felt it.

_Soul mates_, that felt right to James in every way. A soul mate could be a brother or a friend. James could think of no one better as a soul mate, no matter what they went through they had always been together since the beginning. Perhaps they didn't have the same morals, but whatever evils Victor did there was an understanding between them, James understood that Victor's beast was not his own but still a kindred spirit.

"Yeah, but lets keep this brotherly," James said.

"I am being brotherly," Victor insisted, as far as he was concerned there was no boundary line on brotherly love.

"No, your being a pervert."

"And your not resisting," Victor was right, James hadn't moved to push him away like the first time, "give it a chance little brother, it could feel good."

James wasn't sure anymore whether he was uncomfortable with his brother's advances or not. His own beast told him it was right, to take his pleasure was a natural thing. But his humanity was the side he strived to keep to, and it was undecided. James finally concluded that it was awkward but he wasn't disgusted.

"Come on Jimmy, give in to it." Victor gently guided him back against the armrest of the couch as he took his brother's lips between his own. James seemed compliant at first, but after a few seconds into the kiss he turned his face away.

"Victor, no," he didn't want to encourage his brother's perverse behavior.

Victor bared his teeth and growled, a clawed hand lightly brushed through course facial hair to grip his brother's jaw and turn it to face him, "humor me Jimmy, just let yourself feel good for once. You can think of it as teaching if it makes you feel better about it."

"I remember the last time you tried to teach me how to kiss."

"Doesn't work so good if you don't stick around to learn."

James sighed through his nose, he could smell Victor's arousal and knew he was the cause. Victor was only asking him for a kiss and he didn't want to start a fight, he'd done enough fighting for the night. He had almost forgot about the fight, Victor had a way with changing subjects, perhaps it was better to take his mind off of it. He would indulge his brother's fantasies this time, it was just a kiss between loving brother's.

When it was clear James would no longer resist Victor put their lips together again, moving them slow. The younger man made a shy attempt at returning the kiss and became more enthusiastic as it deepened. Soon both men were giving passion to the kiss, their mouths open and relishing the taste of beer on their tongues.

Victor let a moan escape his throat, kissing his brother like this and feeling his body underneath him gave him the satisfaction he had been craving, but there was a need for more. The growing pressure in his groin as it was pressed to his brother's leg nearly broke his concentration in the kiss, he was so hard it was painful. He pressed himself tighter against his brother, trying to gain friction, he wondered if he could get away with grinding.

The smell of Victor's lust became heavy in the room, like an aphrodisiac, James wasn't consciously aware of it as it gave rise to his own desire, he could hear nothing but the wet sounds of their mouths and the rush of air as they breathed through their noses. He had given in to pleasure. Hands roamed over the strong back of the larger man's body, feeling the vibrations through it as Victor's breathing became the constant rumble of a big cat's purring.

It felt good to give in and succumb to the _teachings_ of the body above him, soft, wet lips never breaking contact. How he would love to throw Scarlet down beneath him and kiss her like this.

_Scarlet_.

As his humanity intervened with the beast's pleasure James suddenly became aware of everything, the brush of claws on bare skin, his brother's body grinding against him... "stop," he said, turning his head and pushing Victor off, "that's enough."

Victor fought the urge to roar in frustration, he had been so close to release. "What's wrong? Thought we were having fun."

"Im... Im just tired." James got up and headed for his room.

Victor would let him go, James had given in to the kiss, that was more than he could have hoped for. "You gonna finish your beer?" Victor called after him. James didn't answer.

Despite his calm demeanor Victor was furious, bothered by his straining erection and the fact that his brother was still haunted by pathetic morals, or maybe it was that damn woman.

He grabbed the bottle from the coffee table and downed the rest of the now warm beer.


	6. Chapter 6

Barely a day passed since the incident at the restaurant. James was still holding off on seeing Scarlet, giving her time to think things over.

As the brothers made their way home from work that evening James stopped to look at the arrangements in the window of a florist shop. Victor waited for James as he examined the flowers, trying to decide which one Scarlet would like best, he suspected it would come down to which one smelled the sweetest rather than visual beauty, they were all beautiful.

"Most of those will be gone by tomorrow," Victor told him. It was out of place to see his brother putting serious thought into a gift for someone, they rarely gave gifts to each other and when they did it was a random choice. The most prized gift Victor had been given from James was a silver belt buckle in the shape of a tiger's fangs, James had randomly picked it up because it reminded him of Victor's own fanged smile. Gifts of thought were the ones that meant something, Victor wore the buckle everyday he wore pants and James kept the lighter Victor had given him even though he rarely used it.

"Just pricing them," James replied, "for when I see Scarlet." Neither of them knew how much longer James would wait, Victor knew he had to act soon before his brother did. Scarlet might give James a second chance, but Victor wouldn't.

They bought four cases of cheap beer, each man carrying two, and left the rest of the money aside to pay the landlord. They didn't bother with anything else, their fridge was stocked with bacon and their cupboards with bread and cans.

When they arrived at the apartment James took out a beer for himself and placed it in freezer to get it cool faster, then put the rest in the fridge. "You hungry?" he asked.

"Not really," Victor replied, taking off his work clothes, "what we got?"

James opened the cupboard to see exactly what they had, and sighed, "spam, spam and more spam."

Victor made a disgusted face, "I don't like spam." The spam seemed like a good idea to stock up on at the time, the stuff never went bad, but its contents were questionable and the taste was nothing like any meat they'd ever had.

"Maybe we shoulda picked up somethin else." James took out a can of spam and opened it, spreading its contents on a slice of bread. "Its not that bad, sure you don't want some?"

"No, I don't." Victor had changed into some clean clothes and was lacing up his boots. "Im gonna go out."

"Where?" James asked through a mouthful of spam.

"Don't know yet."

"Want me to come with you?"

"Nah, you stay here and get some rest, you've been complaining how tired you were all day," Victor walked over and ruffled his little brother's hair, he turned his nose up at the stench of dirt and sweat, "and you need a shower."

"Could use one yourself," James retorted. But James was tired, his thoughts had kept him awake most of the previous night. Staying in for the night sounded like a good idea.

Victor chuckled, "I might just get one, it looks like rain tonight." he threw on his jacket and headed for the door, "I wont be out too long, enjoy your spam."

"I will," James said to the closing door.

/

It did indeed seem like the sky would open up at any minute, dark clouds hung above the city illuminated by the orange rays of the setting sun. the air was moist and thick and its pressure suggested a thunder storm. The conditions were perfect for Victor as he set out, again with no plan but with a clear destination.

He walked briskly down the street a ways, but the pace was still too slow. His heart pounded with the excitement of what was to come, a demand for action and speed. The feral couldn't resist taking to the rooftops as he had done before, leaping from building to building with all four powerful limbs propelling him.

When he reached his destination he dropped down between two identical duplexes and studied the target one across the street. By now the sun had set and his eyes nearly glowed with malice in the darkness, a deep growl resounded in his chest mirroring the distant thunder. Through the window on the left he could see his prey, standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, her old man nowhere in sight.

Victor's teeth flashed in a wicked grin, he licked his lips in anticipation and moved out from the shadows. The street was quiet and not a single car had passed since he arrived, he had no qualms about simply walking across the street and up to the front door. He raised his hand to knock when he heard voices inside, the old man speaking to his daughter. So she wasn't alone, that was fine, he would just have to kill them both.

Rationality took over then and he started to rethink his course of action. Senseless murder would likely cause a scene, and even if he disposed of the bodies their sudden disappearance might warrant his brother's suspicion. He wouldn't achieve his goal by simply killing the girl, he needed Jimmy to believe she left because of him.

Hearing someone coming Victor swiftly moved around the side of the building. The woman came out with a trash bag. She was dressed in working clothes, jeans and a button up blouse, not bad looking. She put the bag in the bin at the bottom of the steps and went back inside.

Victor's primal urges told him to attack right then, when his prey was unsuspecting and vulnerable, but he held back.

Looking around the feral man spotted an open window above him, a single leap of his powerful legs took him up to the window and he slipped inside. The room was a small bathroom with an open door across from the window. He stuck his head cautiously out into the hallway and sniffed the air. With no recent scent of life on this floor he exited the bathroom and crept silently towards the two rooms at the front of the building, entering the one that smelled like it belonged to a female and closing the door behind him.

It was typical of any female's room, with flowered wallpaper and a dominating scent of perfume. The perfume tickled his nose and disrupted his sense of smell, he wouldn't be able to smell anyone coming so he would have to rely on his ears. The most prominent feature of the room was a mahogany vanity desk, its quality suggesting it was an old family heirloom.

The desk proved to have other uses rather than just a place to apply makeup, upon it were framed photographs, one likely of Scarlets mother the other of someone who could be a sister or a friend, but the most interesting item was an open letter.

Victor picked up the letter, unfolded the paper and read it. It was about nothing that concerned him or his brother, but it did reveal that Scarlet had a close friend on the mainland. That little piece of information could work in his favor.

Victor's keen ears picked up footsteps in the hallway, he placed the letter back on the desk and looked around for a hiding place.

/

Scarlet stalked into her room, going straight to her vanity desk and picking up a hair brush. She was frustrated as usual, she had been doing things for her father all day, every time she threw off the rubber gloves to take a rest there was something else that needed doing right away. She loved the old man dearly but wished he would get off his lazy ass and do something for himself for once. Not only that, she hadn't seen her man in a few days, and wondered what would happen when she did, their last date hadn't gone so well.

Her frustrations flew aside to curiosity when she glanced down at the desktop, to the letter her dear friend Mary Anne had sent her. Scarlet wasn't the most perceptible person in the world, but she could have sworn she had left the paper folded when she had finished reading it earlier. She dismissed it as her having forgotten how she had left it and continued to brush her hair.

Scarlet immediately dropped the hairbrush when she looked back up into the mirror and her mouth opened in shock. She would have released a high pitched scream had not a large hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

She starred wide eyed at the intruder in the mirror, he leered back at her, exposing his pointed canines. The hand that covered the entire lower half of her face smelled like dust and dirt, the points of his nails dug into the side of her face. To her horror she saw that the man's fingernails were hideous claws.

The man put his mouth next to her ear, starring her in the eyes through the mirror, and spoke in a deep voice, "hello Scarlet."

Scarlet was terrified, she had no idea how this man could have possibly gotten in, she didn't know him but her knew her.

Without thinking she grabbed the closest sharp object off the desk, a nail file, and swung it at the man's face.

The bold move surprised Victor, the sharp end of the nail file catching him just below the eye and tearing a gash across his cheek bone, he momentarily let go of the woman's face. Momentarily was enough for her to wrench herself free and make for the door. But Victor caught her by the arm and pulled her back to face him, putting his other hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream.

Scarlet watched in horror as the cut on his cheek healed itself, she knew then that this man must be a mutant, no normal human could heal so quickly. A whole new wave of terror washed over her.

"You scream and I'll kill you!" Victor growled, "understand?" Scarlet nodded and he took his hand away from her mouth.

"Who are you?" Scarlet asked, still wide eyed with fright.

"We're not going to talk here," Victor replied. He could see her inching toward the items on her desk, even though there was nothing there that could possibly help her. She had guts, he'd give her that, guts he'd have fun tearing out. But guts and brains were very different things and clearly she lacked the latter.

Victor grabbed her by the arm, nearly dislocating it, and threw her across the room onto the bed. She let out a shriek and he was on her in an instant, claws digging into her face with more force as he held her mouth shut.

"Don't even think about trying anything sweetheart!" he growled menacingly in her face, "you aint got a hope in hell of even hurtin me!" Scarlet's eyes welled with tears and she nodded again, this time sincere.

Victor could smell the fear pouring off her, and he was loving it. He took a deep breath in through his nose, the stench of her fear completely overpowered the scent of perfume. He thought about taking her right then, but that would be adding insult to injury, even if Jimmy would never know, and he had to get this done and be home before morning.

"What do you want from me," Scarlet sobbed out when he released her. If it was sex he wanted she wished he would just take it and leave. But she wasn't so lucky.

"You're going to do exactly as I tell you," Victor purred, "if you don't, I'll kill you and your daddy," he lengthened his claws in front of her eyes to emphasize the threat, then added "slowly and painfully."

"Just tell me what you want," Scarlet pleaded. She didn't want to die, and she certainly didn't want her father to die because of her.

Victor got up and walked over to the desk. "It seems my dear brother has been courting you for a while."

Scarlet looked confused, then realization dawned on her, "James," she gasped in disbelief, "you're... his brother..."

"Yes, and you are an interference."

"If you want me to leave him I will, I'll never see him again..."

"That's not enough!" Victor cut her off. It would have been easy just to leave it at that, she would leave James for good, goal accomplished. But he wanted more, and he couldn't take the risk that she would tell his brother what he had done. He tapped the letter on the desk with a claw, "I see you have a close friend outside the city."

So he was the one who unfolded the letter, Scarlet made a mental note for the future that the little details were important. But what could her friend have to do with this, she didn't want to bring trouble to her too.

"pack you suitcase," Victor ordered, "and don't tell me you don't have one, I was in the closet." The look of confusion was again on Scarlet's face, she opened her mouth to ask why but he silenced her, "do it!"

She did as she was told, getting the suitcase from the closet and packing it full of random clothes. She didn't take her time with folding things, the mutant man was watching her impatiently. When she had finished she closed the case and held out her hands in a "what now" gesture.

"Do you have any paper?" the mutant asked.

"There's a notebook in the desk," Scarlet replied, "bottom drawer" she added when he went looking for it.

Victor tore out a piece of the paper and set it and a pencil in the desk, he pulled out the chair and bade her to sit. "Now, I want you to write a letter to James, in your own words, your going to break his heart." She looked up at him, appalled, James had been good to her, she didn't want to hurt him, and why would this man want to hurt his own brother if he was indeed his brother? Victor put a clawed hand on her shoulder, "do it!" she reluctantly picked up the pencil. "Tell him that you've gone away because your afraid, tell him you can never be with someone like him." Victor read over her shoulder as she wrote, "tell him you saw his claws." It was clear by her pause that she didn't know what he was talking about, but she wrote it none the less. It was turning out to be quite the heartbreaking letter.

When she had finished writing she put the pencil down with shaking hands. Victor ordered her to call a cab and clean herself up. She still didn't know what more he wanted of her, but she would find out soon enough. When she had done everything he asked she stood before him and waited for further instructions.

"Take your suitcase out to the cab and tell daddy your going to stay with your friend, give him the letter and tell him to give it to James when he comes along," Victor told her, he could hear the cab driver pull up, "I'll be waiting for you outside, don't try anything, I'll be watching and listening to every word you say."

Scarlet wanted to ask why, what this was all about, but it was clear the man would not answer her, and with his viable threats she had no choice but to comply with his wishes. She took her suitcase by the handle and started out the door, she could feel the mutant man following her down the hall but when she risked a glance over her shoulder he had gone.

Her father was sitting at the kitchen table, he was holding a newspaper in his hands and was looking out the window, "there's a cab outside," he said to her.

"I know daddy," Scarlet replied.

Her father looked at her suitcase, then at her, "you're going somewhere?"

Scarlet almost let out the terrified tears that still stung behind her eyes, she didn't know where she was going or if she would return. "Yes, Im going to stay with Mary Anne."

"Oh," he wasn't worried, his Scarlet was a big girl now, she could come and go as she pleased. "A bit sudden isn't it, and to be going this late."

"Im taking the ferry, it will be on its last run for the day."

"oh," he said again, though he was almost sure the ferry ended its last run at six o'clock in the afternoon. "But why so late?"

"Im scared daddy..." Scarlet blurted out, though she could hardly bring herself to say such a thing about the man she had been so close to for the past weeks, but apparently they hadn't been close enough, "...of James."

He folded the newspaper and got up to put his hands on his daughter's shoulders, "why, what's he done?"

Scarlet took a steadying breath before answering, "he's a violent man, I don't want to be with him anymore, but Im afraid he might do something, so Im going to stay with Mary Anne."

"We should call the police!"

"No! He's too dangerous, just please give him this when he comes looking for me," she handed him the letter, "and don't let him in the house what ever you do!"

/

Victor smirked as he listened, unseen from the side of the window. The girl had done good, perhaps she did have an amount of brains in her pretty head. Victor got in the backseat of the cab, "wait up for my lady friend," he said to the driver.

Scarlet came out when she had finished saying her goodbys and got into the taxi, where she knew her kidnapper would be waiting for her.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"The docks," Victor replied, "the lady has a boat to catch." the driver complied without question, he could see things weren't right with the situation from the moment the woman entered the car, had suspected something from the moment the man told him to wait for her. He could se the woman's discomfort and fear for the male passenger, but he didn't seem to care. Victor scoffed inwardly, it was predictable, the only people who drove cabs were the lowlifes who couldn't find a better job and were lucky enough to even know how to drive, they'd turn a blind eye to crime as long as they got paid.

After a ride in silence they reached the docks. They owed the driver seven fifty but Victor was a dollar short, "you got a dollar sweetheart? Im a little short," the woman emptied the change from her pockets and handed it over. The taxi driver drove off with a fairly generous tip.

Victor picked up Scarlet's suitcase and led her to a secluded spot, behind a warehouse close to the water. The place was pretty deserted so he wasn't worried about being seen or overheard.

"Alright mister, I've done everything you asked, are you going to tell me what this is about?" Scarlet demanded.

"Aint nothin to tell sweetheart."

"Stop calling me that!" she screeched in outrage, this man had brought her all the way out here and he had nothing to say to her? She was no ones sweetheart anymore, and at this point was sure she never would be again.

Victor smiled evilly at her, but that's what you are," he mocked and stepped forward to twine a claw through a strand of her hair, "you must have a sweet heart indeed to have been with my dear brother for so long..."

She slapped his hand away, "Im not with your brother! I could never be with someone related to a monster like you!"

Victor's back hand slap sent her sprawling to the ground, "you bitch," he growled, "you'd throw a man away on account of who he's related to?" With a hand on her cheek Scarlet looked up at him through teary eyes. Victor felt no pity for her. He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the side of the warehouse, she gasped out in pain. "You're the same as all those other no good whores," he snarled in her face, by now she was sobbing uncontrollably, "I cant have some dirty whore come between me and my brother."

"Damn you and your brother, monsters," Scarlet chocked out.

"Brace yourself_ sweetheart_, your about to learn how much of a monster I really am!"

Scarlet's eyes widened in fear behind the hair that clung to her tear stained face. More tears seemed forced from her eyes as the feral man's grip on her throat tightened, screaming was impossible but she tried anyway, forcing a strangled squeak from her parted lips. Her eyes opened all the wider when she felt the terrible pain of claws slicing open her midsection and reaching inside to pull out her insides.

Victor let go of the woman's throat and stepped away, allowing her to look down. Not even the thick scent of blood in the air could mask the smell of her pain and terror as she stared wide eyed at him, at the bloody end of intestine he held in his claws. Her eyes followed the organ down to her stomach where the rest of it was still attached, she was unable to scream for the pain had stolen her voice. Victor yanked the organ and Scarlet fell forwards, into the puddle of liquid as red as her name.

The feral man went into frenzy, slashing every part of the woman he could reach, mutilating her into something unrecognizable, he didn't stop for many minutes.

When he did stop he surveyed his work, Scarlet no longer looked like a woman, blood was everywhere including on himself. He loved the smell.

Now he needed to get rid of the evidence. He searched the area, and inside the warehouse. He managed to find a cinder block and a chain. He wrapped the chain around what was left of the body and tied it to the cinder block, then threw it into the water. He threw the suitcase in after her and washed his hands.

He started for home, feeling triumphant. A clap of thunder sounded overhead followed by a flash of lightening. He didn't have to worry about the blood, it started to rain.


	7. Chapter 7

Victor smiled warmly down at his little brother's sleeping form. He had never known James to sleep so soundly during a thunderstorm.

He washed the smell of blood completely from himself, the only lingering trace was in his own nostrils, a sweet reminder of victory that put him to sleep in his own pleasantly unpleasant dreams.

It was only the smell of frying bacon that woke Victor so early and the sound of his own stomach demanding theat he get up and eat. Not bothering to get dressed he wandered into the kitchen wearing only his night pants and found James, similarly undressed, at the stove making breakfast. He sat down, stretched his arms over his head and yawned.

"Late night?" James asked, handing him a plate containing four strips of bacon and a piece of toast.

"Ya," Victor replied. Ignoring the toast he picked up a strip of bacon with his claws and put it into his mouth, it was a little too crispy for his liking.

"Where'd you go?"

Victor shrugged, "here and there, went to a few bars, picked a few fights. And you burnt the bacon."

James ignored the comment on his cooking and shook his head, when Victor got into bar fights it never ended well for the other parties involved. "Didn't do anything illegal did you?" Victor snorted but didn't offer a reply, which usually meant he'd had his fare share of trouble, but luckily not enough to mention.

James sighed and changed the subject, sometimes he didn't want to know what Victor got up to in his spare time. "Im going to see Scarlet today."

It took all of Victor's willpower not to grin, instead he kept his demeanor uncaring and simply replied, "good luck with that."

They had the day off today, which was an all around good thing, the rainy weather that had rolled in the day before promised a long stay, Victor didn't think too much of working in the rain. And he would have his brother all to himself, if James actually came home after his visit.

James left shortly after breakfast, after combing his hair and dressing his neatest. Victor imagined the things going through his brother's mind as he got ready, going over some planned speech about how much he loved her. James was fully expecting things to go well, but it was clear he was nervous.

Victor smiled,_ you set yourself up for disappointment from the beginning Jimmy_, he thought to himself.

/

James picked the first bouquet that caught his nose, full of the most beautiful pink and white lilies. He imagined Scarlet lifting it to her own delicate nose and smiling secretly at the sweet scent.

He thought again about what he would say to her. He dint know where to begin, he wasn't even sure she was mad at him. He settled on simply apologizing for the horrible date and telling her how beautiful she is.

As he drew nearer his mind wavered from positive to negative thoughts. He expected many things, for Scarlet to forgive him or say she had already forgotten, for her to be angry that he hadn't spoken to her in days, even a stern lecture from her father about how he doesn't tolerate thugs sniffing around his daughter. That last thought made him snort amusedly, the old man seemed like the type.

What he didn't expect when he walked up the steps and knocked, was the old man glaring at him through the crack of the chain bolted door.

"What do you want!" the man demanded.

"Im here to see Scarlet," James replied hesitantly.

"She aint here!" the man's tone was threatening, James wondered if he should just leave. He didn't know what was going on, but if there was a problem, or if he was the problem, he was determined to fix it.

"Can you tell me when she'll be back?" he craned his neck to look over the man through the crack, "is there a problem I can help with?"

"I don't need help from the likes of you!" the man snapped. "Scarlet aint comin back, she said to give ya this." A folded piece of paper was handed through the crack and James took it. "Now get outta here! Before I call the cops!" The door was slammed and James could hear the rest of the bolts being secured behind it.

James starred at the door in bewilderment, what did the man mean? He wanted to knock on the door again, pound on it and explain that this was all just a misunderstanding. But he unfolded the letter in his hands and began to read, and his heart sank to his feet.

/

Victor allowed himself a short grin when he heard the apartment door open and his brother shuffle in, then composed himself.

Without moving from his laid out position on the couch Victor calmly asked "how'd it go?" It would have been an ass hole question coming from someone who knew it went badly, but Victor knew nothing of it and that's what his brother would believe.

When James didn't answer he looked up and saw his brother's expression, "not so well I take it." He sat up to allow James to sit down beside him.

It had poured with rain as James was walking back and he was soaked to the skin, but he didn't care. He still held the note but the paper was wet and the words were blurred.

"What happened now?" Victor asked, it was again time to slip into the role of caring big brother.

James just sat there in silence, staring at the stained carpet, his eyebrows furrowed in an expression seeming between anger and deep disappointment. But Victor knew the look was one of sadness.

"Jimmy?" Victor said softly. When James finally looked up at him his eyes were watering, he was as close to tears as Victor had seen him in many years.

James swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke, "she saw the claws," he turned away as his voice shook, "she said she could never be with someone like me." He clutched the letter in his hand so tight the paper tore under his fingers. "She left town." He sniffled, one of the building drops in his eyes slipped free and rolled down his cheek.

"C'mere Jimmy," Victor put a strong arm around his little brother's shoulders and pulled him close. James shook as he resisted the urge to sob uncontrollably. It was nearly heartbreaking, a moment of weakness Victor truly hoped he would never have to see again.

"I don't know what to tell ya Jim," Victor threaded his fingers through James's hair. He couldn't fix his brother's broken heart, it would be a lesson he would hopefully carry for the rest of his life. But he would help him move on.

"Shit happens Jimmy, you've gotta learn from it. I learned from it, and I've told you. They see one thing they don't like and they're gone, no matter how good your other qualities are, that's women for ya."

Victor's words sounded like wisdom to James, the wisdom of an older brother, something he should have listened to from the start. But he was desperate to hold on to his humanity, to experience the happiness of two _human_ lovers, something his humanity cried out for almost as intensely as the beast cried for the wild.

"I thought I could hide it," James murmured.

"You cant hide it Jimmy. You couldn't hide it from your family, or the military. We cant hide who we are."

"Its my fault," James desperately tried to argue for Scarlet, "I shouldn't have lost my temper, maybe in time she would have understood..."

"Understood what?" Victor interrupted harshly, "you would have waited a year or two before telling her, or she'd find out, then she'd leave you for not telling her you were a freak sooner! It would have been the same result, people don't change." His tone softened, "that's how people work Jimmy, they cant accept what's different. She would have never accepted you like I do."

Victor pressed his lips softly to his brother's forehead and continued to stroke his hair. He was reminded of a time not long after they had run away, a young James starred down at his claws with tears in his eyes. _"Why me?" _Jameshad asked, Victor had no answer except that things were the way they are because they are. He had nothing to offer but comfort and to tell him he wasn't alone. Things were different now, he had so much more to offer his brother, if only James would see that Victor was all he needed in his life.

James couldn't help but melt into the gentle touch, the heart beating steadily beneath his ear was soothing. He was grateful for his brother's comfort, a comfort no other was ever able to give.

Slowly his upset over Scarlet ebbed away as he began to accept the fact that Victor was right, had always been right. Scarlet had left him because of who he was, a mutant, she would never have accepted him, not like Victor did.

James drew in a breath, he could smell no lust on Victor. They were so close, he was surprised that Victor didn't try to kiss him again, and if he did James didn't know if he would resist. He was almost hypnotized by Victor's breathing, the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling him into relaxation, he was ready to agree to anything his brother might say or do.

Sitting like this with his brother was something he could do for hours, but Victor's impatience won out. "Forget about her Jimmy. Its just you and me now, as it should be," his voice was a soft rumble as he stroked his fingers over James's forehead, "we don't need anything Jimmy, anyone, we're different."

James heaved a sigh and pulled away from Victor's body, his head returned to his hands as he fought the swirling tide of emotions in his head. Victor's love was powerful, it could control those tides in his head, could excite or calm the beast. Too many times he had ignored his brother's advice, and it was always Victor who was there to comfort him when things went wrong. The path he had taken to Scarlet was winding, but the path leading back to Victor was straight. He always came back to Victor.

As much as he hated to admit it, to himself or anyone, Victor had always been right.

"What's on your mind Jimmy," Victor asked, as if he didn't know, but he wanted to hear those thoughts.

"You were right," James admitted, without looking up, "you were right about everything." He couldn't see Victor's smile but he knew it was there. Victor was always so smug when James admitted he was right about something, it angered him a little as always.

Victor's heart skipped a beat at his brother's words. He could hardly contain his excitement, it took all his willpower to keep his manhood from rising instantly. Could this be it, what he had hoped for these past weeks? He refused to wait any longer, he would find out for certain here and now!

James had been expecting it when Victor grabbed his chin and Kissed him. Shaking hands instinctively grabbed Victor's forearms to push him away, but instead they slid up the muscular arms to grip his shoulders as he returned the kiss.

Victor let himself go then. He had won, James was his, it was clear there would be no fighting back this time, _or ever_, Victor hoped.

All he could feel was a rush of pure passion. His mouth opened wider as he kissed his little brother more fervently, tongue tasting as much of him as possible. Victor's claws lengthened and tore down the sides of James's best shirt, releasing his skin to the air. Victor could feel his own body getting hot, he wished James would return the favor and cut him free of the confining clothes, he wasted no time in tearing free the rest of the shirt and roaming his hands over every inch of skin.

If James cared about the shirt he was too lost in the kiss and the feeling to notice. Victor pressed up against him and pushed him back against the armrest of the couch, the fabric prickled at the skin of his back, but not as much as Victor's claws which had extended to full length and scratched light trails down his shoulders and sides. Clawed thumbs hooked into his pants to pull them down to reveal his sharp hipbones, then went for the button and zipper when they refused to go further.

"Wait!" He grabbed Victor's wrist to stop him.

"Wait? For what?" Victor didn't want to wait, he had waited too long. He moved his mouth down to James's throat and kissed him there, biting and sucking.

"I..." James didn't know what, and he was too distracted to think with what Victor was doing to his neck. He tried to push the larger man off but Victor was persistent.

When he realized James had stopped participating and only continued to halfheartedly try to shove him away, Victor finally pulled back and looked him in the eye. "We could take this somewhere more comfortable if you'd like, on the floor, in the bedroom, or even the bathroom," he suggested, "but don't you back down on me, I've waited for this for so long, you know I have," he accentuated his point with a long lick along his brother's jugular and pressed his hips forwards, grinding his erection into James's crotch causing him to gasp aloud. He wasn't going to let Jimmy off on this one, he would have him tonight, even if he had to use force.

"I just..." James shoved him more forcefully, " I just need a minute."

Victor took a good look at him, James's eyes pleaded with him, the lower half of his face was wet, his facial hair matted with Victor's saliva. The image made him want to go in for another taste, the aching member still constrained in his pants throbbed.

Reluctantly Victor nodded, "meet me in my room in five, any longer and Im coming to you." He would give him some time, as long as he got what he wanted soon.


	8. Chapter 8

James splashed cold water over his face, running his hands up through his hair as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror. He had already taken too long and he didn't doubt Victor would make good on his promise if he delayed this any longer.

This was it, in one moment of passionate sex his life was about to change forever, and so soon after the last life changing event. He had thought meeting Scarlet would be a major turning point, and it was, but not in the way he had thought it would be.

In the sudden tight grip of frustration he began searching his mind and the small room he was in for any way around this. But there was nothing to be had except reasons why he should go through with it, as his eyes lingered on a few droplets of dried blood clinging to the edge of the tub. He had already told his brother he would, with actions if not words, and if he didn't give his brother what he wanted things would likely turn violent. But things would be violent again anyway.

He clenched his fist in frustration, felt the pop of skin when the claws poked through and slid out. Raising his fist to study the claws in the light, he thought of how much he would love to bury them in Victor's stomach and twist. He didn't want sex from his brother, didn't want anything from Victor but to be what he was, a brother. But Victor wanted more and wouldn't be content until it was his.

_Fuck it all_! He retracted his claws and sighed through his nose and clenched teeth. He'd give Victor what he wanted and be damned if he wasn't going to enjoy himself doing it. No matter what came of it they would still be brothers, Victor had said himself, nothing would ever change that.

He opened the bathroom door so swiftly it banged against the wall and cracked the plaster, and he started for the bedroom, since he'd rather not have Victor drag him there unconscious.

/

Victor was already naked and laid out on the bed when James finally decided to drag himself into the room. His five minutes had run out long ago but he decided to give him a break, the man just had a breakup after all. And besides, Victor knew James had already made up his mind, and when that happened it rarely changed.

Victor had made up his own mind that the time for being sensitive was over. Jimmy was done brooding over Scarlet, curse her name if it was ever mentioned again. It was time to start the dirty talk, he couldn't help himself. "Lose the pants," he purred thickly.

James hesitated. He wasn't fond of putting on a show for his brother's pleasure, but Victor would take pleasure in it no matter how it was done. He complied, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his still unbuttoned jeans, trying not to make a show of sliding them over chiseled hipbones.

Victor's eyes followed the descent of the pants, exposing more and more skin to the chill air as they went, over the hips and muscled legs to pool around his bony ankles on the floor. His eyes traveled up again, slowly, hungrily to meet his brother's and give him an amused smile, "don't suppose you'd mind turning around for me?"

James's eyebrows drew in angrily, "ya, I would!"

Victor chuckled, "come here then." The chuckle continued as a low purring sound in his throat when James stepped out of his pants and started towards the bed.

He watched every move of James's stride, like a powerful animal that knew it had nothing to fear. One half of his body layered in shadow, the other half exposed to the dim, almost blue glow from the world outside, perfectly highlighting every toned muscle. Victor couldn't resist giving his hardened cock a few tugs.

James's eyes were on his brother's, though very aware of what his hand was doing down below. He wasn't sure exactly how things would happen, having never been in bed with a man before, but he had a good idea. Being in so many wars and places full of so many men, he had seen things, things he never considered doing. But he knew Victor would take the lead on this, like everything they did for the first time, he was actually glad of that fact sometimes.

Victor was atop him as soon as he lay down, straddling his legs and shifting him into the center of the mattress, lest they fall off it in the coming events.

James felt the tight grip of nervousness in his stomach when he felt the hot skin of Victor's erection brushing against his own soft member. It felt awkward and strange.

He became aware that his body was shaking without his control and he was breathing heavily, Victor noticed this as well and chuckled softly into his ear, "relax Jimmy."

"Its cold." He didn't even try to hide the obvious lie.

Victor smiled and pressed a kiss to a fuzzy cheek, "then I'll keep you warm." The older man lay his full weight over his brother and put lips and teeth to work on his neck.

James endured the stinging nips and bruising sucks, trying to concentrate on how it felt instead of the position he was in, but he was failing. It felt good, every touch sending an electric jolt through his nerves to burn in his chest, yet he stubbornly resisted reacting to it.

"Your too tense little brother," Victor said through a mouthful of flesh, "relax, give in," he breathed hot against his neck, "let the beast have its way."

James bared his teeth in a hiss when Victor's fangs pierced through the tender skin of his throat and pulled it. The shock of pain went straight to his groin and he felt Victor grin when his cock twitched.

It wasn't much of a reaction, but they were getting somewhere. Victor grinded the elastic skin between his teeth and let it go, licked at the healing wound.

"Sadistic basterd!" James growled.

"You liked it, I felt it." He knew James was just being stubborn, he would have to break his little brother out of that. "C'mon, its just you an me now Jimmy," he rubbed his body against the smaller man's, "give in to it, trust me. Let yourself feel it." He knew James would take it from him, his mind was adamant about that, and Victor would give it to him, would give it to him good. But there was no real pleasure in fucking an unresponsive ragdoll. He wanted to plunder his brother's body mercilessly, to take his painful pleasure, but he wanted Jimmy to feel it, respond to it, live in the moment where he belonged and let their beasts run wild together.

Victor put his lips to James's temple and spoke in the barest whisper, "just you and me," he repeated. "I told you we had to be hard, let no one stand in our way. No one can hurt us together, you don't want to be hurt again Jimmy."

Victor was right, he didn't want to be hurt again, didn't know if he could take it, only so much before he snapped completely. But he didn't necessarily want _this _from his own brother, all he wanted from Victor was his love, and it was clear he had it, too much of it.

His thoughts became lost in the night they ran away together, of the words Victor had just reminded him of. He couldn't remember Victor's voice as a child, as they had changed together he always remembered it being the same. He realized then that Victor was the only constant in his life, he had been with him since the beginning and the way things were now he would be with him for the rest of his life, however long it might be.

Women would come and go as they always did. Even if things had gone better with Scarlet, or any of the others, it would never last, his heartbreak would come sooner or later. His older brother would always be there, they were so alike if not completely the same, why shouldn't they take pleasure in each other. He was starting to see things from Victor's point of view. At least he was doing this with someone that mattered.

James closed his eyes and concentrated on the moment, breathing in deeply and taking in his brother's familiar musk, trying hard to feel every kiss and touch, find a reaction to it. Victor's body radiated heat, blocking out the chill of the room. One of Victor's hardened nipples brushed against his own and he arched up to feel it again. He focused on the pleasure in everything Victor did, from the sweet press of his mouth to the way he breathed his name, _Jimmy_. Heat coiled through his body so slowly, accumulating in his groin where a steady throb began.

Victor smiled when he felt his brother's member begin to rise to his ministrations. This is what he had wanted, they shared everything over the years, now they were sharing in each others pleasure. It was only a matter of time before the beast with its carnal desires took over in both of them, and the beast never shared anything, only took everything.

James's hands were on him, almost shyly at first, dragging blunt nails down the rippling muscles of his back. Victor moaned and rubbed against his brother more forcefully.

Scratching his nails down Victor's back again, James took satisfaction in the sound he elicited. When he had done that to women in the past it had left them with stinging red marks. He could only imagine the marks Victor's talons would leave. Yes, Victor could take it, would moan for it, and he in turn could take Victor's violence. It was a perfect arrangement.

A small noise escaped James's own lips when both of their fully erect members slid against each other. "That's good," Victor moaned, "how bout a little more participation on your end."

James growled low, reaching between them to grab Victor's dripping cock, the skin feeling hot and sticky in his hand. If Victor wanted participation he would get it.

"That's more like it," Victor hissed as his cock was squeezed. The hand squeezed him again and drifted low to fondle his heavy sack, taking no care to be gentle. _Jimmy boy knows I like it rough_, Victor laughed in his head.

Not much time had passed since they started, Victor guessed at maybe half an hour, but their foreplay seemed like it was taking forever. The cool, dry air of the room couldn't touch their skin now, protected by a layer of shining sweat as they rutted against each other.

Victor's tongue chased a bead of perspiration dripping down James's forehead to his temple. He was beginning to really feel the heat between them, only the heat he felt was a desperate need. His cock was throbbing and drooling, he needed more now! He pumped himself fiercely into his brother's wandering hand when it returned, almost forgot for a moment that this wasn't as far as he was taking this.

Victor reached under his brother and grabbed both of James's ass cheeks, claws lengthening and digging into meat.

"Watch the claws buddy!" James hissed.

"You can take it."

The shaky nervousness returned to the younger man as Victor pushed both his quivering legs aside to press the slick head of his cock to the tight entrance. He resisted the urge to push his older brother away. He wasn't prepared for this, he was content with the foreplay and had hoped Victor was as well. But it was clear that Victor was bent on taking it to the next level, right now!

The head of Victor's cock rubbed over his hole, coating it in thick precum, it felt strange and unwelcome. "Not gonna waste time with the sweet stuff are ya?" James pointed out the lack of preparation.

Victor raised a brow, as far as he was concerned the natural lubricant was good enough for them. "You cant ask me to be gentle Jimmy."

Bracing himself for what was coming, James put on a serious expression, "you don't need to be."

He bared his teeth in a grimace of pain as Victor began to penetrate him. "Fuck that burns!" he hissed through clenched teeth, feeling the stretch of the tight ring of muscle.

Victor chuckled lightly, "I can imagine."

The meager lubrication did nothing to ease the entrance for James, and Victor clearly didn't care. Even though whatever injury he sustained, and he could bet there would be plenty, he would heal. But it still hurt like hell.

Inch by painful inch, Victor forced himself into his brother, ignoring James as he cursed under his breath. "Your so fucking tight!"_ Better than any woman_!

"I'll take that as a compliment," James grunted.

Feeling the heated pressure enveloping his member almost caused an instant orgasm, but he held himself back from thrusting forward impatiently. When he was cradled to the hilt in his brother's ass he reared up to look over the panting form beneath him. The lean muscles of James's body were shining with sweat in the dim glow, they would both be completely soaked when this was over, and Victor promised to make it last a long time. Claws dragged down the toned chest to the dark hair at the base of his iron shaft, Victor took the time to admire with eyes and hands.

They had barely begun and already James was wishing it was over. The only pleasure he was receiving at the moment came from Victor's rough hands roaming over his chest and inner thighs, though it was difficult to concentrate on that with the invasive feeling of having a sizeable cock up his ass. Stretched painfully wide and displayed beneath his brother's ravenous eyes, it was all he could do to keep control of himself.

"Relax Jimmy," the hands made another circle around chest and thighs, one coming back down to fondle his balls, the other gripped his dick, "feel it!"

"I am feeling it!" James ground out, gasped when his cock was jerked.

"Good." He couldn't wait any longer, he started to move, to ever so slowly pull himself out, once only the tip of his member was inside he pushed back in. Catching a slight hint of blood in the air he knew he had torn something and he slammed forwards to tear it again.

James grunted in pain and growled out his anger at the sudden move, Victor came to his lips with a soothing kiss. "Let the beast out Jimmy," Victor pulled out and rammed into him again, "come on!"

Within seconds James was growling furiously in his brother's face, the younger feral's claws buried deep into Victor's sides.

"That's it little brother," Victor said, ignoring the sharp pain as best he could, though it was obvious in his halting voice.

The snarl was replaced by a horrified expression as James realized what he had done, how easily he had been provoked.

_That's what I like to see_, Victor thought, grinning wickedly. He knew this would only strengthen his arguments. "Its ok Jimmy. We can fuck each other up as much as we want!" He gave another thrust, but James didn't respond.

The younger man was staring down at where his claws punctured the skin and drew small rivers of blood, a pitch black in the darkness around them. If this had been someone else the wounds would be mortal, though if it were someone else he wouldn't be in this situation. He relaxed at that thought, he had never stabbed a woman in the throws of passion and he wasn't likely to be with any other man.

The feeling fascinated James, his claws surrounded by the thick warm flesh of a living being, the blood was liquid heat trickling down his arms. He hated to admit it, but he enjoyed the feeling almost as much as his brother did. _Victor deserves this_, he told himself and twisted his fist slightly, as he had thought of doing earlier.

The elder feral snarled in pain and scratched deep, bloody trails down the younger's chest. The fists were twisted harder. He might enjoy it another time, but it wasn't his intention to start a fight now. Retracting his claws he grabbed his brother's wrists to pull the bone claws free.

"Jimmy, look at me!" When James finally looked up Victor licked the snarl from his brother's lips, running his tongue over the hardness of the younger man's bared teeth and into his mouth when they parted.

Victor started to move again, with long, slow thrusts this time, knowing James needed time to find the pleasure in it. He reached a hand between them to stroke his brother's cock, using the precum to slide his hand easily over its length.

The way he was being fucked, stroked and kissed made Victor seem like the ultimate multitasker. James became clumsy as he struggled to return the kiss, the sloppy movements of his tongue causing saliva to dribble down his chin. But the pleasure only came from two of the three tasks, the invasive thing inside him still felt solid and painful and he swore something tore inside him with every move.

He could rethink it all he wanted but he couldn't do a damn thing about it now! He just wished Victor would spend himself and get this over with. He wouldn't be doing this again if he could avoid it.

The weight of the older man's body pushing down on James's chest with every thrust forced strangled noises and strange squeaks from the younger's throat. Something was touched inside him as Victor pushed up into him, the spot seemed to burn intensely for a moment. It took him a moment after the next thrust to realize this feeling was pleasure. He didn't care how or why, but any feeling was better than the sharp sting of having his ass hole stretched.

Victor knew he had found something inside James when he began to, more or less, moan instead of whine. Angling his hips upward he thrust harder, his brother's pleasure was confirmed with a gasping moan. _Now to get the beast going_.

Claws hooked into the mattress at either side of the younger man's shoulders, strong arms keeping the older man from falling completely on top of him when he slid backwards as he picked up the pace.

Gradually the pain started to recede as this spot was deliberately hit over and over again. Victor had stopped stroking him and James took up the task for himself, trying to keep a rhythm and failing. A blood drawing bite was delivered to his neck, James howled, wrapping his arms around the older feral's chest to bring him close for a retaliating bite to the shoulder.

Things seemed to erupt from there. The beast in both men came forth and filled the room with sounds that would have been terrifying to anyone listening. Each feral growling and biting at the other. While the sounds of anger where obvious, the sounds of passion came as an unearthly wailing. The air thickened with heat, blood and the heady scent of sex, the elder feral was driven mad by it, thrusting and grinding his hips hard. It was a different kind of fight between them, one with no goal, no need to bring the other down, purely in the moment.

_Yes_, this is what Victor had wanted, to see his younger brother's eyes glow with passionate anger, so much like his own, his body radiating pleasure and pain, to share a feeling with him. He'd never felt alone with his brother, but now he felt a new kinship with him, something deeper.

Victor's body vibrated with need, he couldn't get enough of the tight heat squeezing down on his cock, couldn't go deep enough. The feeling burned right up into his belly, his teeth left the younger feral's throat and he squeezed his eyes shut in concentration, seeing electric spots behind the lids.

Every bite and growl directed at the younger feral provoked one back, moans flowed freely from his parted lips as the pleasure built up. He groped at the large hips keeping his legs spread wide apart, there wasn't an inch of air between their bodies as they rubbed together, not even where the older's hips moved back and forth.

James hardly noticed when he came, only felt the pleasure more intensely for a moment as his seed spilled out from his cock being rubbed roughly between their bellies, the inner muscles clamping down on Victor's cock but doing nothing to slow his pace.

Once he was spent James was immediately aware of everything, his senses flooding back with a wave of fatigue. He couldn't feel pleasure anymore, in fact he was numb from the waist down. His arms loosened their hold around his brother as the strength left him. He could feel the sticky secretion from his member being smeared around and all he wanted to do now was take a shower and sleep. But Victor was still going, biting his lip and moaning in his throat. James could tell he was close to orgasm as the older feral's movements became more frantic.

He might as well be doing something with his hands instead of lying there unresponsive, he settled for rubbing the older man's back. Without the strength to hold them, puffs of air where still being forced from his lungs by the heavy frame atop him.

He finally felt Victor's release inside him, almost scalding hot, washing out his insides. He watched his brother bare his fangs at the ceiling and emit a deep growl like that of a lion, a display of passion and power as every muscle in his body tensed, revealing their perfection and strength.

The feeling was like no other sexual experience Victor had ever had, so intense, he shuddered with the force of his orgasm, sparks flaring behind his eyes. He had held it back as long as he could, trying to draw out the feeling, but all good things must come to an end, a spectacular end as he released all the burning pressure that was building inside, like an explosion, pouring his entire being into his younger brother's body.

His cock went soft and slid out, relaxing he let himself collapse onto the younger man, laying the side of his face on James's sweaty chest. Victor breathed in the pungent smell that was filling the room, took notice of the musky scent of his brother's seed, not quite as strong as his own. He had lost all control near the end, didn't even notice his brother's orgasm. He hoped James had lost control as well, and kept it lost.

All thoughts slipped from his mind when he closed his eyes, in the sudden calm after a raging storm, the thunderous noises of passion replaced by the quiet hum of the traffic and city sounds. Victor almost drifted off to sleep if not for James's sudden need to break the silence.

"Satisfied?" James asked. He would have drifted off as well if the sticky sensation between them weren't so uncomfortable.

"Very," Victor grunted, "how was it for you?"

James merely shrugged, he couldn't say it was bad, probably the most intense sex he ever had, but the fact that it was with his own brother was still hard for his humanity to accept. He decided it wasn't worth dwelling on, but he still wanted that shower.

"You can get off anytime," James stated.

"Already did."

"Get off of me!"

"I'd rather not," Victor didn't particularly feel like moving any time soon, "why?"

"Don't wanna sleep in my own filth."

"We've had worse."

"If I can avoid it I will, easily with a shower close by."

Sulking slightly, Victor removed himself and rolled onto a cleaner spot of the bed.

James winced at the feeling of the warm stickiness dripping down between his legs as he stood up. His legs were still a bit numb and shaky almost causing him to fall over with the first couple steps he took.

"Come back when your done," Victor purred.

"Do I have to?"

Victor shrugged, "suit yourself, I'll be stealin your bed sheets."

Waving a hand at his brother James continued to the bathroom. It was surprising how easily the humor came, almost as if they hadn't just had sex. Another example of how easy it was for them to move on, not forget what had happened but simply put it in the past.

Once James was gone for his shower Victor removed the sheets from the bed and used them to clean himself up as much as possible, he would shower in the morning. He threw the sheets into the corner and raided his brother's room for some cleaner ones. He hoped James would come back as the room quickly grew cold again without the extra warmth.

He allowed himself to close his eyes and for a small smile to grace his lips. He had finally had the sexual gratification he had been craving, no more tension and frustration. His needs had been satiated, he got what he wanted, what he needed. For the first time in months he felt the relaxing waves of satisfaction and began to drift off into a satisfied, dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Victor opened his eyes, jarred from his sleep by a loud dispute in the street below. He looked over at James's back, the younger man was still snoring lightly. He smiled.

Victor had been asleep when James came back to his bed. But weather the man came for love or because of his stolen bed sheets didn't matter, he came back and that's what's important.

He gave a lazy stretch and a yawn, looking over to the half closed blinds on the window. Dim light filtered in, suggesting it was still very early, or just cloudy with a chance of rain. The loud men on the street raged on in their argument and for once Victor didn't feel like tearing their heads off for disturbing his sleep.

He felt lazy and content from last nights activities. The hunger, the want for his brother had been sated, for now at least. He couldn't even be bothered to muster up a fantasy and deal with the morning wood pitching a tent in the sheets.

He rolled over to his brother and ran his fingers lightly along the turned back. James didn't stir. He shifted closer and pressed his lips to the flesh instead, to his delight James was also naked. Not worrying about his little brother waking, he kissed a trail from shoulder to shoulder, barely lifting his lips from the skin as he worked his way down. He didn't think on the fact that James might shove him away for the touches or be angry with him, his brother's mere presence in his bed this morning confirmed the fleeting visions and feelings. Last night was a memory, not a doubt.

"Victor," James's sleepy voice floated over him, "what are you doing?"

"Exploring," Victor replied and continued with the expedition, kissing over every muscle and line on the landscape of his brother's back. When he got to the lowest part of James's back he kissed the center and moved his mouth over to nibble at his hip bone, sliding his palm over the curve of his ass and around his thigh.

James stopped him with a firm grip on his wrist, "had enough of that last night."

"Still tired?" Victor asked, sliding up against the younger man and pressing his erection to his backside, "I could go for another round."

"Not gonna happen today!" James grunted. He wasn't worn out, but he wasn't in the mood for any sexual activity again any time soon.

Victor chuckled and flicked the tip of his tongue against the back of James's neck, making him fidget at the ticklish, yet pleasant, sensation. James had enough of this after a few seconds and reached around to give Victor a good slap.

James relaxed when Victor calmed down and wrapped his arms about him in a warm embrace. The room still smelled strongly of sex and most of it was coming from Victor. "You need a shower," he remarked.

"You wanna get in with me?"

"Had one last night."

"Could always have another one." James snorted in reply. "You can never be too clean."

"Yet you insist on remaining filthy." He felt Victor shrug, and with no more to add to the argument he buried his face in the back of James's neck.

The minutes ticked on, despite it being a work day neither man was inclined to move. Victor appeared to have gone back to sleep, James closed his eyes but couldn't do the same. He lay there feeling Victor's breath on his neck, hot when he breathed out, cold when he sucked the air in.

Last night hadn't been dreamless for James. Instead of wars the visions behind his eyes were of Victor, some of them pleasant memories, others terrifying and new, all of them distorted and most unmemorable. But he found through the unpleasant dreams and the events of the previous night, he didn't feel any different about his brother at all, if not closer to him than ever.

He still loved Victor, always would. Some day they might have another go at passionate sex, no doubt Victor would try to make it a casual and regular event. But for now everything was fine as it is.

/

It was about noon when Victor decided to get up and take a shower, deliberately leaving the bathroom door open as an invitation, which James didn't take.

Victor wasted no time in cleaning himself up, while he didn't like to wallow in his own filth he liked to keep a healthy odor about him. He sighed into the steam of the shower as the last remnants of pungent sex washed down the drain, knowing he'd smell it again someday soon.

When his shower was finished he dried off and went to pull on a pair of pants before sitting down to the breakfast James had prepared for them.

They ate in silence, the only sounds coming from the outside and the crunching as they chewed their food, each in their own contemplations. Each glance was a silent conversation and understanding that passed through the thick air of comfort between them.

After a while James was the first to speak. "Late for work," he stated through a mouthful of toast.

Victor raised a brow, "really?" a sarcastic question.

"Probably get fired."

The casual way he said this and with not starting his sentences properly suggested James didn't really care, which was unusual. For months now this job had been the most important thing in their lives. James was up to something.

"What's on your mind Jimmy?"

The younger man paused a moment to gather his thoughts, then said "was thinking of going back to Canada for a while, you an me."

Victor was truly surprised at this, and he let the expression show.

"Could get work on a farm maybe," James went on. He had been thinking of this all morning, the idea spawned from last nights dreams. It might be good for them, maybe they could escape another war, if Victor allowed that to happen.

"What changed your mind," Victor asked.

"I don't know, there's nothing here for us now, no job, no..." he bit off the last word. It was enough.

There it was, the _us_ was back, no_ I_. They were whole again, more than just brothers.

Victor was truly overjoyed with this latest development. They would go back to the wilds of Canada, hunt for their food and truly live. No doubt Jimmy would push for a job on some farm or in a small town, that was fine, Victor would make the best of it. Out there they could be free, be the animals they were.

They'd find themselves a nice place until the next war, which was inevitable, they'd fight in the next one and the one after that.

"When do you want to leave?"

Of course It was just that simple, how their lives always were, just pack up and leave anytime, go anywhere they wanted. Victor called it freedom, and James couldn't disagree. It may have seemed lonely before, but they always had each other, and now he felt different.

"We need transportation," the younger man pointed out.

"No problem, we just go an demand our paycheck for the last month, buy a car an we're outta here. Simple as that."

James looked around. There was nothing they really needed here, all their belongings could fit in one bag. "Simple," he agreed, and lit up a cigar.

Victor studied his younger brother, sitting across from him puffing on the cigar, a hard look on his features. James was like cement, he started out so frail and soft, something that could be molded into a desired shape, over the years he hardened. One day only Victor would have the strength to break the surface, only he could get inside his brother's head.

Victor's gaze looked to the past and the future all at once. Just the two of them, all they ever needed, all Victor had ever cared for. He knew his brother felt the same now, and he would always be there to make sure of it.

"Just the two of us," Victor said, his voice far away.

"Like old times," James agreed.

/

Once they had secured their transportation they packed up their meager belongings and went on their way, not bothering to pay the rent they owed to the landlord, not saying a word to anyone they knew. Vanished without a trace as they had done throughout their history. There was no one left behind to miss them.

On their way back to the savage wilds from whence they came, the brothers left the crowded and dirty streets of New York far behind, before an unrecognizable body and an unnamed suitcase were fished out of the docks.


End file.
